YorkTest > Allergy or Intolerance? > Are you reacting to nuts?

The official botanical definition of a nut is actually quite strict; a nut must have a woody or stony outer wall, and the seed inside is loose or partially fused with the shell. However, in cooking and nutrition the term “nut” is much more widely used, encompassing legumes (pea family) like peanuts, drupes such as almonds and walnuts, and seeds like pine nuts. The overall definition of nut appears to encompass any sort of oily kernel, whether or not the kernel is a true nut.

 

Almonds, pistachios, coconuts, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, chestnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews and macadamia nuts are all considered edible nuts, whether or not they are true nuts. All of these foods share the characteristics of having rich, oily flesh which can be pressed for oil or eaten directly. Some of these nuts need to go through multiple steps of processing before they are able to be eaten. Many different processed foods contain nuts or nut extracts.

 

Immediate and severe allergies to edible nuts are quite common. Since “nut” in culinary terms is a broad word, it is possible for someone to be allergic to some nuts, but not to others. A peanut allergy, for example, is usually restricted just to peanuts while an allergy to tree nuts like walnuts may suggest that someone is allergic to a range of drupes including almonds and beechnuts. Since the terms of a nut allergy can get confusing, most people who know that they are allergic to nuts avoid edible nuts altogether, since they do not want to risk serious allergic reactions.

 

Delayed and less severe food reactions to nuts are also common. For those known to be suffering from delayed food reactions to nuts there are many alternatives that can be eaten.

 

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